This invention relates to a method of controlling connection to an operator when incoming calls arrive at busy operator terminals. More particularly, the invention relates to an operator connection control method for when a communication apparatus is found to be busy, wherein a caller is connected to an operator when the call is terminated and the operator is allowed to provide the caller with a predetermined answer.
In a system (communication system) in which there are a large number of incoming calls, such as a ticket reservation/sales system that makes tickets available for a variety of events, a television shopping system and an airline/train reservation system, incoming calls are connected to a plurality of extensions (operator terminals) so that the callers may be answered. In a case where all operator terminals are busy when there is an incoming call from a caller, the caller is placed in a queue until an operator terminal becomes available. In the meantime, an announcement or music is played for the waiting caller to hear. When an operator terminal becomes available, callers are connected to the available operator terminal in the order in which in which they were queued.
FIG. 31 is a block diagram of such a communication system, which includes a switch network 11, a truck controller 12, a switch controller 13, a line controller 14, a central processing unit (CPU) 15, a main memory device 16, trunks (TRK) 17a, 17b, a music source 18, an announcement machine 19, line circuits (LC) 20, 21a.about.21n and operator terminals 22a.about.22n. The trunks 17a, 17b are provided between an exchange (not shown) and the switch network 11. The connection to the exchange is by way of trunk lines (main wires) 23a, 23b. Though a large number of trunk lines are connected to the trunks 17a, 17b, only one trunk line (23a, 23b) is shown to be connected to each trunk in FIG. 31 in order to simplify the illustration. The trunks 17a, 17b are arranged to correspond to pilot extensions P1, P2, respectively, and are controlled by the trunk controller 12.
The music source 18, which allows a caller to hear a predetermined melody, is connected to a switch network 11. The announcement machine 19, which allows a caller to hear an appropriate announcement, is connected to the switch network 11 via the line circuit 20. The operator terminals (extensions 22a.about.22n) are connected to the switch network 11 via the line circuits 21a.about.21n, respectively. The line controller 14 controls the line circuits 20, 21a.about.21n. The CPU 15 controls the line controller 12, switch controller 13 and line controller 14 and accesses the main memory device 16 to write and read data. The switch controller 13 exercises control to connect or disconnect the trunks 17a, 17b to or from the line circuits 20, 21a.about.21n and music source 19. The main memory device 16 stores a connection queue Q1 of free operator terminals and a connection queue Q2 of callers.
When a call C1 arrives at, say, the pilot extension P1, the CPU 15 causes a predetermined announcement to be played and then connects the music source 18 to the incoming call to send a melody to the caller. The CPU 15 then searches the connection queue Q1 and determines whether there is a free operator terminal. If there is a free operator available, the CPU 15 instructs the switch controller 13 to terminate the incoming call C1 at the free operator, removes the operator terminal that has terminated the call from the connection queue Q1 and ends control for connecting the incoming call C1 to the operator terminal. On the other hand, if there is no free operator terminal available and one does not become available upon elapse of a predetermined period of time, the CPU 15 queues the incoming call C1 in the connection queue Q2 and then waits for a free operator terminal to appear. When a free operator terminal appears, the CPU 15 connects the incoming call waiting at the top of the connection queue Q2 to the above-mentioned free operator terminal and removes this incoming call from the connection queue Q2. Further, the CPU 15 removes the operator terminal to which the incoming call has been connected from the connection queue Q1. The CPU 15 thenceforth repeats control similar to that described above.
In this service for dealing with incoming calls that arrive at busy terminals, the caller does not know when he or she will be connected and, as a consequence, may discontinue the call while waiting for the connection. In such case the caller must call again later. Repeating the same operation until the connection is established is very troublesome.
Further, operators are managed in centralized fashion and the period of time during which calls can be accepted is limited. This causes calls to be placed in concentrated fashion and lengthens the amount of time one must wait to be connected. There are many cases in which a connection cannot be achieved even after calling repeatedly.